Dominator Emperor

After some struggle, Nan Huairun and his master finally managed to get back to their feet. Once Li Shuangyan steadied herself, her face also turned pale. The earlier explosion of Immortal Light had been too terrifying. Before that single, exploding wisp of Immortal Light, a Prince, a True Master, or even an Ancient Saint Emperor would be nothing more than an ant!

Nan Huairun and his master could only look at Li Qiye with awe. It was only then that they truly felt how Li Qiye’s terrifying nature far surpassed their wildest imagination.

”You dare probe my Sea of Consciousness and steal my memories? You’ve got a death wish!” Li Qiye’s face was now cold as ice. Though the aura of an Immortal Emperor’s fury had vanished, his presence was still enough to make one shudder, as if he were an inviolable Immortal Emperor.

The giant snail had an astounding origin, but unfortunately for it, the one thing it should never have done was probe Li Qiye’s Sea of Consciousness!

In the distant Desolate Era, Li Qiye fell into the Immortal Demon Cave. His soul was extracted and refined into the Yin Ya. Later, he was involuntarily summoned back to the Immortal Demon Cave, where its denizens read his memories.

Eventually, Li Qiye grew powerful enough to scheme against the world. He united with countless Elder Sages and plotted against the Immortal Demon Cave, finally breaking free from its control.

From that day forward, Li Qiye’s greatest taboo was having his Sea of Consciousness opened and his memories extracted. Once he grew powerful enough to nurture Immortal Emperors, he reinforced his soul, his Sea of Consciousness, and his memories, time and time again.

One could say that Li Qiye’s soul, True Destiny, Sea of Consciousness, and memories had all been fortified by Immortal Emperors. And it wasn’t just Mingren Immortal Emperor who had done so; the Blood Seal Immortal Emperor, Tun Ri Immortal Emperor, Bamie Overlord Immortal Emperor, and even the Black Dragon King were among the many who had fortified his memories.

To touch his Sea of Consciousness, to touch his memories, was to touch the very wardings of the Immortal Emperors! The offender would be utterly suppressed by their power! This meant that no one—not even another Immortal Emperor—was permitted to read the memories within Li Qiye’s Sea of Consciousness.

This was the culmination of his painstaking efforts over millions of years, across lifetime after lifetime of rising and falling. And this was his greatest taboo!

Today, this snail, ignorant of the truth, had actually tried to use its own Divine Techniques to read Li Qiye’s memories. It was undoubtedly courting death!

”Drag it back here,” Li Qiye finally commanded.

Guardian Mo and his disciple hurried to comply. A long while later, heralded by a series of rumbles, the two of them finally managed to drag the giant snail back. For the master and disciple, dragging the enormous snail was like hauling a small mountain.

The giant snail was dragged before Li Qiye, completely motionless.

”First Brother, is it dead?” Nan Huairun asked as they hauled the giant snail over.

”I’ve spared its life for now. Whether it lives or dies will depend on its own behavior.” Li Qiye then ordered, ”Set up the cauldron, add the herbs, and cook it.”

Hearing Li Qiye’s command, Guardian Mo and his disciple immediately set up the giant cauldron. Fortunately, the quick-witted Guardian Mo had brought one that was massive enough. The master and disciple poured all their medicinal herbs into the cauldron, then placed the giant snail inside.

Before long, the water in the cauldron was boiling, and all the herbs had been reduced to a medicinal broth.

At this moment, the giant snail slowly began to regain consciousness. But even though it was awake, it couldn’t move. It had been utterly suppressed by the Immortal Emperor’s power! It was now nothing more than meat on a chopping block, completely at Li Qiye’s mercy.

”Who... who are you?” The giant snail was soaking in the huge cauldron. With great effort, its two antennae poked out from beneath the water. Its large, ox-like eyes, filled with terror, stared at Li Qiye. ’A person whose memories are fortified by an Immortal Emperor... what kind of being is he?’

’For a boy of thirteen or fourteen, this should be impossible. The last Immortal Emperor was thirty thousand years ago. Logically, there’s no way this boy could have ever met an Immortal Emperor.’

’And yet, this boy hadn’t just met an Immortal Emperor—his Sea of Consciousness had been fortified by one. That flash of Immortal Light that erupted and instantly suppressed me... the impression is too profound, truly indelible. To be crushed by such absolute power stirs a terror in the very depths of my soul. This is a suppression that only an Immortal Emperor could wield!’

”Who I am is no longer important. You have crossed my bottom line.” By now, the color had returned to Li Qiye’s face, and he spoke slowly.

For some unknown reason, when Li Qiye’s expression softened, Nan Huairun, Guardian Mo, and Li Shuangyan all couldn’t help but let out a collective sigh of relief.

When Li Qiye was enraged, it felt as if a giant boulder was pressing down on their hearts, making it difficult to breathe. It was as terrifying as the wrath of an Immortal Emperor!

”What—what do you want?” The giant snail’s expression changed drastically, knowing now that it was facing a great disaster.

Li Qiye replied leisurely, ”I’m boiling you in a cauldron, so what do you think I’m going to do? Drain your Longevity Blood, and while I’m at it, make a pot of snail soup to satisfy a craving. These friends of mine have never tasted a Celestial Beetle Ancestor. Perhaps after trying it, they’ll find the flavor unforgettable.”

”Th-that’s impossible!” the giant snail exclaimed. ”My shell cannot be refined by fire, nor can it be boiled open by water!”

Li Qiye chuckled. ”That may be true for others, but that rule doesn’t apply to me. Since I know your origins, I naturally know how to deal with you. Do you know what this recipe is for? A snail soup made with this formula isn’t just delicious, it’s also an incredible tonic!”

Hearing this, the snail in the cauldron couldn’t resist tasting the broth. The moment the flavor hit its tongue, it was horrified. Once these herbs were brewed into this concoction, they became the perfect counter to its treasured shell!

Just then, Li Qiye leaped onto the edge of the giant cauldron, drew his Qimen Saber, and said slowly, ”You should know, bloodletting your kind is an art form. I’m aware your shells are said to be impervious to all blades, difficult to damage even with a Treasure Artifact. However, after being stewed in this broth, you should be well aware of the consequences!” The moment he finished speaking, his saber flashed like lightning.

In the blink of an eye, Li Qiye carved line after line onto the giant snail’s shell. The saber marks intertwined, forming a mysterious pattern. It looked like an Array Technique, and also a Dao Chapter, but more than anything, it resembled a text of Attacking Daoist Morality meant to dismantle the Dao Patterns on the snail’s carapace!

Blood slowly began to seep from the saber-carved lines. Each drop was incredibly lustrous, like a priceless Treasure Pearl. As the droplets rolled into the cauldron and simmered with the broth, they released waves of an enchanting, fragrant aroma that was simply mouth-watering.

”Longevity Blood—” Seeing the trickling drops, Guardian Mo was visibly moved. To a Cultivator, Longevity Blood was incomparably precious. There was even a saying that one drop of blood was worth ten thousand units of essence. A single drop of Longevity Blood contained the equivalent of ten thousand drops of the Essence of Heaven and Earth!

Li Qiye’s methods scared the soul right out of the giant snail. Its kind was a mysterious race of beings, belonging neither to the Demon Race, nor the Celestial Beasts, nor the Longevity Spirits. Their origins were astounding, and they were exceptionally rare.

They possessed shells that were said to be nigh-indestructible. Yet today, Li Qiye knew a recipe to boil those very shells open, and he even knew the technique for draining their Longevity Blood. The snail understood that it had finally met its nemesis.

As its Longevity Blood drained away, the giant snail felt as if its soul was being extracted. Its True Destiny grew ever weaker. If this kept up, it really would be cooked into snail soup.

”Y-You... what do you want from me? Wh-what is it you want!?” the giant snail finally cried out, its heart trembling. If it continued to act tough, it would truly end up as snail soup!

After a long moment, Li Qiye slowly glanced at it before finally saying, ”How about this: I happen to be in need of a mount. You will follow me from now on.”

Li Qiye’s words left Nan Huairun and the others speechless. ’A true magnate should at least pick an impressive-looking mount,’ they thought. ’Forget about a peerless creature like a True Dragon or a Phoenix; even a Jiao Horse would be more stylish than this giant snail.’

Li Qiye’s words made the giant snail fall silent. Although its race was exceedingly small, they possessed a proud lineage. Furthermore, its own Dao Practice was formidable. To become a mount for a mere human... that was an unbearable thought.

The giant snail remained silent. Li Qiye shot it a sideways glance and said, ”Don’t be so conceited about that supposedly remarkable bloodline of yours. Even if the Elder Ancestor of your race were still alive, in my presence, he would only have the standing of a junior!”

These words sent a tremor through the giant snail. Its huge eyes stared at Li Qiye. ”Who... Who in the world are you!?”

”Who I am isn’t important. Either you stay and follow me, or I turn you into snail soup,” Li Qiye said in a carefree tone. ”Serve me loyally, and in the future, I will impart the Twelve Understandings to you, one by one!”

This last sentence instantly revitalized the giant snail. It was an unwilling choice to become Li Qiye’s mount; it would have sooner been boiled into soup. However, the mention of the Twelve Understandings changed everything.

As far as it knew, throughout all of eternity, only one entity knew the Twelve Understandings. But the Li Qiye before it was clearly not that entity!

”Fine, I accept!” In the end, the giant snail submitted, having made its choice.

”Then swear a True Destiny Oath,” Li Qiye said unhurriedly, not the least bit surprised.

In the end, the giant snail swore a True Destiny Oath, making its vow. This scene deeply moved Nan Huairun and his master. A True Destiny Oath was an extremely serious matter for any Cultivator. Once made, the oath was binding; violating it would result in a severe backlash.

Of course, a True Destiny Oath could only be established with the willing consent of both parties.

After the giant snail completed its True Destiny Oath, Li Qiye had Nan Huairun and Guardian Mo drag it out of the cauldron.